What are some common causes of truck accidents?
Any car crash in California has the potential to be deadly, but truck accidents are particularly fatal. Studies have shown that truck accidents account for 10% of all highway deaths even though trucks make up only 4% of the vehicles on the highway. Since trucks are so heavy and massive, the people in the passenger vehicles are at the greatest disadvantage in a crash. In fact, people in passenger vehicles make up about 70% of truck accident fatalities.
What causes truck accidents?
Truck accidents can be caused by a number of factors. One common factor is truck driver fatigue. After driving on the highway for hours, the roads all start to look the same. The driver becomes exhausted, and their eyes start to droop. They know they should pull over but feel like they can’t take a break because they’re on a strict schedule.
Driving while fatigued can make a person disoriented and decrease their reaction time. As a result, many people have gotten into accidents while driving while fatigued.
Distracted driving is another common factor in truck accidents. Distracted driving can include texting, talking to a passenger, eating, writing in a notepad or doing anything else that distracts a person from the road. If a driver looks away from the road for even a second, they could end up slamming into another vehicle.
How can you seek compensation after a truck accident?
After a trucking accident, you may be suffering from severe pain and debilitating injuries. You might even wake up in the hospital to find that you’re permanently disabled. Additionally, you may have hefty medical bills that you can’t pay off because you have to stop working indefinitely.
If you’ve been the victim of a truck accident, you might wish to hire an attorney to help you seek compensation. An attorney may be able to help you file a claim with the other party’s insurance company. They might also represent you if you end up filing a lawsuit.
